Doctor Doctor
by sharkinterviewee
Summary: Medical AU- Doctor John Smith leads an ordinary life working in an ordinary hospital with ordinary patients, or so he thought. When he meets his new patient named Amy Pond, his life is changed beyond repair. But for better or for worse?
1. Chapter 1

The morning in Sunny Grove hospital began just like any other. The birds sang their songs of spring, basking in the sun, like many of the patients. Light shined through all of the windows, making the hall floor that morning wasn't like any other. John Smith, the head attending, was late. His alarm clock picked the worst day of the week-of the month, really- to not go off. By the time he woke up he was already an hour late to work, leaving no time to investigate his blasted alarm. He threw on his clothes and rushed the rest of his morning routine, forgoing his usual cup of tea (he'd decided to just get coffee at the hospital).  
He knew he would be pestered when he arrived. If there was one thing that John Smith was not, it was late. He spent most of the car ride trying to remember the last time he had been late. If he remembered correctly, he hadn't been tardy since secondary school. His ongoing streak was broken, and he wasn't happy about it.  
_

John had made most of his rounds by 11 am. Not only were his coworkers giving him a hard time for missing the meeting, but so were his regular patients. He had to assure Mrs Peters that he was, in fact, fine, and that he wasn't out late partying like other boys his age. Jonathon (who was old enough to be John's grandfather) gave him a high five, as he was always trying to corrupt John's "pure heart", as he put it. Out of all of his interactions that morning, Jonathon was his favorite, and the only one that made him truly smile.  
He had no idea why the man was so determined to get him to "loosen up". Every once in a while, Jonathon would begin to tell stories of who he used to be, and uptight man who had varied experiences. Fantastic tales, but just when the story was close to the end, he would stop and say "maybe that's for another time".  
Jonathon loved giving John bad advice. ("try speeding on your way to work." "Throw your rubbish out the window, John." "Steal someone's lunch and bring it to me.") He was overjoyed when he heard why John wasn't as punctual as usual. He wouldn't let John leave the room until he gave him a high five.

As the day was winding down, he came to his last patient on his list. A car crash victim, brought in the day before. Her leg was broken pretty bad, but the attending over the weekend had already set it and put a cast on her. He estimated it would take around 3 months to heal, it was a simple fracture, so that was in her favor.  
He walked into the room, eyes still on the new patients chart. "Amelia Pond?" he asked.  
"Amy," the girl replied. "And you are?"  
When John looked up from her chart, he had to stop walking.  
John had to admit she was beautiful. Red hair that he knew he would dream about that night, along with the rest of her. He felt like he could spend hours looking at her face.  
It took a bit for John to realize that he was staring at her for entirely too long, so he looked away and coughed.  
"John Smith... Dr John Smith. Dr smith. I'm your... doctor." He tilted his head down towards the chart in his hands to hide the flush on his cheeks. He cursed himself for acting foolish, and summed it up to his hectic morning.  
"Well, Doctor, what happened to the other doctor?" With the look of confusion on his face, she began again. "You know? Lady doctor? Bushy brown hair? Enough foundation to drown in?"  
"She's weekends. I'm week days."  
Amy pond nodded in agreement. She had noticed the Doctor's too-long stare, and couldn't say she minded it. He looked normal enough, but she sensed there was something different about him. The only thing she could think of was that he didn't button up his lab coat. He was the only doctor she'd seen here that didn't. But that wasn't that too weird. He just seemed odd, but in a good way. She decided she would have to investigate.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunny Grove was a regular sort of hospital. The hallway was lined with the open doors of the patient's rooms, and floor length windows on either end. There was always signs of life, even at night. But during the day- it was beautiful.  
In the middle of the floor was the nurses station, which always seemed to be busy, save a few quiet days. Though, on quiet days, it was never silent. There was always whispers of heart monitors, the flickering of fluorescent lights, and the steady thrum of the AC.  
Friday was a particularly quiet day. At times, John was the only one in the hallway. The Doctor made his way down the faded green walls to room 16, Jonathan's room.  
The man was sitting in his bed reading a book like usual when the Doctor entered. He only ever read the same book in all his time spent at Sunny Grove. The book was cloth bound, and had a monogrammed flower on the cover, but no title or author listed on the spine. John always wondered what it was about. When he would ask, all Jonathan would tell him was that it was "an old book, from another time." Eventually, John learned to just stop asking.  
"How are you doing today?" the Doctor asked.  
Jonathan waved his hands slightly. "Break any laws, Doctor Smith?"  
John gave him an exasperated sigh as he shined a light in his patients eyes.  
"Did I ever tell you about the time I almost drowned?  
John shook his head, finished his check up, and down for another one of Jonathan's fantastic tales.  
"It started how most of my foolish stories start," he began. "With a girl. Now this wasn't just a normal girl, not at all. She was a dame. A real looker, with orange hair that could blind you if you stared too long."  
John pictured a certain red head he had met recently. He shook the image out of his head and refocused on Jonathan's voice.  
"It was a small lake, a pond really, in the middle of winter. All of the kids in town were there, and I was one thick teenager. So us boys started walking on the frozen surface, each trying to go farther than the rest. Now the girls, with a few more brain cells, were sticking to the snow covered ground, safe but still watching. Sarah was there, the ginger. Her cheeks were red and her eyes sparkled as she watched the idiocy taking place."  
"Most of the boys were just having fun, but I had a mission. Sarah's boyfriend, Jack, was the oldest, and by far the most reckless. He had us all beat by at least 3 meters. And I, with all my teenage hormones, got it into my head that if I went out farther than Jack, Sarah would dump him and go out with me. So I made my way to damn near the middle of the lake, far enough that even Jack wouldn't follow. I was trying to get Sarah's attention when I heard the first crack of ice."  
"I was petrified. I didn't know whether to run away, or walk as slow as possible. Well, I stayed still, trying to figure out what to do when the ice caved in under me. As you would expect, the water was extremely cold. I felt numb in seconds. I tried to swim back to the hole, but the water was so murky that I could barely tell which way was up.  
"I was told Jack saved my life. He could see my outline and stomped on the ice over me. The other boys helped him fish me out. Jack was a great kid. We became friends after that, and he went on to become a police man. I was jealous because I didn't know him. But he had enough character for the whole town- with some left over.  
"I doubt I impressed Sarah, but wouldn't you know, the next day..." Jonathan paused a moment, and then another moment.  
"You have other patients to get to, don't you? I think I'll finish the story tomorrow."  
Before John could assure him that he had no one else to attend to (a lie) Jonathan spoke again.  
"I'm tired now. I think I'll take a nap. Don't worry though, I'll still be here tomorrow."  
John knew he'd never hear the end of that story.

* * *

It was always late afternoon when John made it to his last patient of the day. Room 11. Amy pond.  
He was dreading the onslaught of questions she would surely have for him. He never answered anything of consequence, just polite talk or one word responses. He was always nervous when he walked into her room. It didn't make sense to him. John had the feeling that if he really talked to her, he would tell her every though he ever had. And that would be a bad thing, he decided. For reasons still undecided.

The past few days Amy had asked him more questions than he could think of. His favorite color, middle name, hometown, and countless others. But there was something different about her room that Friday.  
He looked around. It was the feeling you have when someone moves the furniture when you are out. He checked: the ugly red chair was still in the corner, her bed was still in the middle of the room, and the nightstand was still in the same place as always. Nothing seemed changed, until he looked out the window. The blinds were drawn, unlike the other days when she kept it open.  
His eyes finally landed on Amelia Pond. She looked tired. Unbelievably tired. She was paler than usual with bags under her eyes. It appeared that she could collapse at any moment.  
"How did you sleep last night?" John asked, trying to keep his voice monotone.  
"Well enough," she replied.  
He paused a moment, expecting a barrage of questions. When he realized there would be none, he commenced his check up. There was no idle banter, the only noise she made was when he told to open her mouth and say "ah". When he finished he checked her temperature. It was just as he thought, she had a low grade fever. He then told her what she would be taking with it along with her regular pain medicine. He began to walk out of her room when she asked her first question of the day.  
"Why did you become a doctor?"  
John, seeing no danger in the question, decided to answer it. "To help people, I suppose, Isn't that what ever doctor says?"  
She didn't say anything, just sat there looking at the floor.  
"Why do you ask?"  
After a moment, she spoke.  
"I would hate coming back here every day. It's rather lonely."  
John Smith didn't know what possessed him to say his next sentence. Maybe it was how sad her voice sounded. Maybe he was more lonely than he thought. His brain was torn between asking and not asking a single question. He asked anyway.  
"Would you like some company?"

AN: I'm planning on updating this story every weekend. School just started last week, so we'll see how it goes. Thank you so much for the favorites (:

So- See you next time?


	3. Chapter 3

Amy had received her injury in a car crash. It was only a slight collision, so she had no idea how she managed to break it. ("I must have weak bones," she told the Doctor.) The rest of her was fine, and the other driver got off scot-free- aside from a red face from a deploying airbag.  
She was passing through on her way from visiting a mate in London and heading back to Leadworth. She didn't think there would be a hospital in a 75 km radius, much less one ten minutes away. She confessed that she thought Sunny Grove was positioned right in the middle of nowhere.

While Amy was sharing her story, she silently cursed her body for making her feel so horrible when she should be enjoying the Doctor's companionship. She didn't know what pushed him over the edge that day. Would a bad day really make him want to talk to her more? She was just glad he was actually talking to him, forgoing his usual niceties. She had taken his manner as a challenge, in which she had succeeded as of now. _Break down John Smith's armor: + 20 points_. She couldn't bask in her victory though, going from chills to waves of heat. She hoped the medicine the Doctor gave her would start working soon.  
John, meanwhile, had to periodically remind himself to look away (so as not to stare). Amy's fever created a flush across her cheeks that seemed to compliment everything about her. She was beautiful, and the sun was just beginning to set, bathing her in an amber glow through the blinds.  
Once Amy realized talking was making her head hurt, she quieted, and let John fill the silence.

And he was talking like a fool. Just blathering on about things of no consequence. He kept wishing she would interrupt his nervous speech, but all she did was smile and let out a few laughs.  
It seemed the Doctor was retroactively going through every question she had asked him that week. (He lived in the same town all his life, was a morning person, and his favorite color was blue). Despite his chagrin, Amy was content just watching him. At certain points in the conversation, they would make eye contact- but he always broke away first.  
In a pause during one of his ramblings, her voice broke through.  
"Why are you being so nice to me?"  
He tilted his head to the side, clearly puzzled over her remark.  
"What do you mean? I'm always nice to you." John scanned through their past interactions in his head. He never ignored her, and certainly never said anything mean. She had never mentioned if he offended her. Rather than go through every word and motion of the past week, he decided to wait for her answer.

"No, you're always polite. Now you're being nice. There's a difference." Amy thought she should maybe shut up, but it was too late. She had already sparked his interest, and there was no going back.  
"Is there?" he asked.  
She mulled over her response. She didn't want to get too heavy and frighten him off. Not when he was finally beginning to open up.  
"Well, you know..." she trailed, then continued when she realized that he, in fact, didn't know.

"Polite is what you do with strangers. Holding a door open, that's polite," she began. "But there's nothing really behind it. The only thing that happens further is a 'thank you' and a 'you're welcome'. You don't really want to interact further than that, if even that. Being polite is just getting you from one room to the next in the easiest was possible."  
She paused and looked at him. She felt so daft, and didn't want to say anything other than a few mumbles. But John was giving her his full attention, waiting on her next word. She didn't want to sit in silence, so she began again.  
"And nice is just... nice. You wouldn't mind if there was further interaction, and might even want it. You can just sit with someone and not even talk, just to be with them. You aren't thinking about exits. Nice is like trying to find the best possible way to stay in the room."

She wasn't sure if it was her words or her fever that was making her face feel hot. She realized she had just said the most inane thing, that probably didn't even make sense. She wanted to curl up under the blankets and take back every embarrassing word. She knew that he was going to close up again, now he would probably just ignore her in the coming days. When she looked up at him, she wanted to cower all over again. He was looking at her in a weird way. Like her face was the first face he had ever seen.  
She shook off her thoughts. He was a doctor. And she shouldn't care what he thinks. She wasn't some sniveling teenager that cries every time a crush doesn't like her back. In a few months, she would be back off to Leadworth, and would never see him again. At this thought (despite her self-scoldings) she found herself dreading getting better.  
The Doctor cleared his throat, breaking her out of her reverie.  
"Looks like I'll have to be nice to you more often."

The smile she gave him was the brightest he had seen in a long time.

* * *

Hope this chapter is to everyone's liking! Sorry it's shorter than the last. I'll try and be better about it next week.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't long after Amy's dazzling smile that a blonde nurse popped her head into the room to switch out Amy's fluids for the night. John and his patient were getting deep into the question of why the sky was blue. The doctor was trying to explain the refraction of sunlight when the nurse interrupted.  
" Dr. Smith?" she asked. "Didn't you get off an hour ago?"  
Said doctor shrugged from his chair with a slight smile on his face. The nurse looked perplexed, but proceeded to change Amy's medicine drip and check the monitors for the night. When she was sure all the dials were turned and switches flicked, she took a sideways glance at the doctor and walked off.  
This was new information to Amy. Had they really been talking that long? Looking at the clock, she realized it had been 2 hours since he walked through her door. 2 hours of sitting in that red chair that she knew was uncomfortable just by looking at it. She never saw him glance at his watch once during their conversation.

"When did you get off?" Amy inquired.  
"6:30" John answered.  
Amy checked the clock again. It was 7:45. She wondered why he stayed so long. He couldn't have wanted to talk to her that badly, could he? Before she let herself read too much into it, she noticed how tired he looked. His fringe was hanging over his left, and his eyes were a bit too big for anyone not trying to keep them open. His coat, always open and unbuttoned, was slightly crumpled near the collar. She realized he must have been up since early morning, compared to her noon wake up. She also realized that the only reason he was still there was her (she wasn't sure whether to feel guilty or thrilled).

"You should go home," she said. She had all of the intimidation a girl in a hospital gown hooked up to machines could. As his mouth opened to protest, Amy spoke again. "It's Friday night. No one wants to be in a hospital on Friday night, even if they are having the most riveting conversation about the refraction of sunlight." She smiled at her own joke.

John knew she was right about him going home (to sleep. He had nowhere to be on any Friday night, much less this one). Nevertheless, he couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. There was nowhere he'd rather be than in this room, with the fluorescent lights illuminating the red-haired girl's face. Really, he'd rather be anywhere with this girl. But right now he needed his bed.

When john had crossed the tile floor, he took one last glance at Amy and smiled. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll still be here tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that." The Doctor felt like he had heard something similar earlier in the day, but he couldn't place it. He chalked it up to his sleepiness and figured he would remember the next day.

* * *

Amy's weekend was dreadfully dull.  
The bushy haired lady doctor was back, and she wasn't the most... stimulating conversationalist.  
Her brown hair was trying to be tamed by a hair tie, but it wasn't working out. Her over-the-top pink scrubs made her name tag stand out as the only spot on her that wasn't potentially blinding. was too peppy for Amy's liking, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She reasoned all she could do was watch the telly and make as little trouble as possible.

Making as little trouble as possible wasn't too easy, it seemed. Dr. Shives favorite hang out proved to be a stones throw from Amy's door, and didn't sound like she knew the concept of indoor voices. Amy tried not to listen. She turned the volume up on the telly, but found that was even more annoying than listening to her doctor's gossip. She reasoned it wasn't her fault that she could overhear, so it wasn't like spying or anything.

Shives was a woman who shared too much, and spoiled endings to movies that the nurses hadn't seen yet (the worst type of coworker). She told the same story about the nurses in the ER starting a relationship to anyone that would listen. Her initial office gossip was peppered with questions about John. Stuff like "How is Dr. Smith?" and "Any trouble for him this week?" It wasn't until Amy heard Dr .Shives trying to switch to a week-day schedule that she understood.

_Oh. Oh, no, no, no,_ she thought. Shives wasn't his type at all. They would never work out. He wasn't into... that. He wouldn't want to be with a superficial girl who had nails as long as cat claws.  
Then Amy realized she had only known him for 5 days, and she really had no clue who he would and wouldn't like. Even though it felt like they had been friends for years, she couldn't say that she really knew him. When she tried to picture who he would like, out of everything she knew about him, she only pictured herself. A pale, ginger girl with a broken leg sentenced to this hospital for the coming months. She looked at her nails, bitten to the quick.  
No, he wouldn't be into that either.

* * *

Sorry for the late update. I had a kkrazy weekend (the extra k is for extra krazy!)  
It's a little short, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible.  
Thank you for the guest reviews, and the user reviews. They are all fantastic!


	5. Chapter 5

John's Saturday was more or less of the same. His mate Craig was on a business trip, though John could not fathom what use a call center would have for business trips.  
John was trying to stave away the boredom with his weekly crossword, but it just wasn't working. Normally it would satisfy his early morning boredom, but it wasn't fulfilling it's usual task.  
He made a fit of crossing and uncrossing his long legs to find comfort on the beige couch, but no position seemed to work. He sighed and dropped the crossword on the floor. Looking up at the ceiling, he was faced with a question.  
Was his life boring?

It amazed him that he had never realized the emptiness of his life before. His flat was near silent, which he used to enjoy, but was now causing him to fret.  
He looked around the room- everything was spotless. His book shelf was alphabetized, as were his movies and CDs. His walls were blank (never mind unpainted), his desk was clear of clutter, and even his carpet didn't have a single stain. Everything around him was perfect. Too perfect.

John didn't know why he was having the sudden realization now, of all times. Craig always bothered him about his neatness, but he didn't mind.  
It was just like Craig to be out of town when John was having his first early life crisis. He needed someone to talk things through with, but that didn't seem to be an option that weekend.  
Though, even if his friend was in town, he probably wouldn't have been able to talk long. His girlfriend, Sophie, was taking up most of his time. It wasn't that John didn't like her, just that he missed his friend.  
"Just wait till you find the right girl," Craig had told him. "You'll want to spend every second with her too."

No one had caught John's eye recently (despite all of the blind dates his so called 'friend' had set him up on). He was always so busy, so never had a problem with being single. But with the down time from work he had been getting lately, he realized it might be nice to have someone around. But he had never met anyone worthwhile.  
Well, that wasn't quite true. He was fond of a certain red head, but there was nothing he could do about it. She was his patient, and it would be wrong.  
He didn't have a say in the matter.  
This maddening fact was at the back of his mind the rest of the day.

* * *

"I met the nicest girl over the weekend," Jonathan told the Doctor. His patient was beaming, and talking with his hands as per the norm. The Doctor had to keep interrupting his story so he could fill out his chart, but Jonathan didn't notice. He had a smile on his face that boasted of a secret that needed to be told.  
"Her name is Amy, and she's only a few doors down. And wouldn't you believe it, she is the spitting image of Sarah!"

Without looking up, the Doctor responded "I know." Trying to multitask talking and writing was proving to not be one of his fortes.  
It took Jonathan's knowing "Do you" for him to realize his mistake. He looked up from his papers with a slight blush on his face. John tried to explain, but he was too flustered at being caught off guard to form coherent thoughts.

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me. She's a pretty girl. If I was a bit younger..."

The Doctor put a hand up to his temple, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." Despite his words, the Doctor was grinning. When he looked up, Jonathan was smiling at him like they were co-conspirators. The devious look on his face was more fitting to a plan of brilliant bank heist than a simple conversation about a girl.

Jonathan waited patiently for him to continue talking. His eyes were shining like he was about to hear the juiciest gossip of the century.  
The Doctor felt like telling anyone about his problem would be a bad idea, but he did need someone to talk to, so he explained the situation to his friend.  
"Even if I did like her, which I'm not saying I do, it would never work." John spoke fast, sighing at the end of his sentence. He thought he would feel better, but telling someone only provided minimal relief.

"Why not?" Jonathan asked. He was the type, John remembered, that wouldn't be stopped by any obstacle. (After all, hadn't he told him that he was stranded in a snowstorm once? How can any possible problem beat that?) The Doctor knew that any excuse he gave his patient would not satisfy him.  
After the John explained all of his doctorly duties, Jonathan only had one thing to say to him.  
"You'll never know until you try."

* * *

Amy was glad to see the Doctor after her long weekend. To be honest, she was looking at the clock every few minutes to see when he would come in. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't like a scheduled appointment, so she didn't know exactly when he would show up. She had tried to make herself look more presentable that morning, but her hair was still a mess. She was in the middle of twiddling her thumbs to an unknown tune when he walked in.

They exchanged pleasantries why she studied him. He was standing at the foot of her bed filling out forms on his clipboard in the silence. He looked the same as he always did, button up shirt, open lab coat, but his smile was a bit brighter that afternoon. She would never admit it, but she was pleased that it seemed like he had a good day.

"So, Doctor, how was your weekend?" She didn't know what else to say other than that. She felt like all the time in the hospital with little interaction was having an effect on her social skills, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

"I have a name, you know," the Doctor said without looking up from her chart. He was checking off a list, and he reminded himself that talking and writing at the same time hadn't worked out for him earlier that day.

Amy made a face. "What do you want me to call you? Dr Smith? But that's so boring!" she said, drawing out her last word.

"Really? Better than just plain old Doctor?" He was looking up at her in earnest now. She was beautiful as ever, as if by merely existing she was doing the world a favor. John was thinking that she was an enigma, and that he would never be able to truly figure her out, even if he spent a life time with her. But that would never happen, so he pushed the thought out of his mind.

Amy thought about her response for a bit. His stare was a bit disconcerting, so she looked out the window trying to find the right words. She really would have to start thinking before she spoke more often. She wasn't even sure if she had an explanation to give him, so she said the first thing that came to her mind.  
"Okay. So another person might be a doctor, but you're _THE_ Doctor. Get it?"

John shook his head but smiled none the less. She was fantastic, and brilliant, and he'd never met anyone like her. He chuckled and asked her to explain it more.

"So, it's like this..." she began.

* * *

**AN: It may or may not be heating up a bit in the next chapter, just to let you know ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

It was Friday again. And like so many Fridays, it was raining. Pouring, really- but the Doctor didn't mind. He had forgotten his umbrella, but rather than fret, he enjoyed the drops falling on his head. He didn't run from his door to the car, or from his car to the hospital's doors. He just walked. His hair was soaked, and water was streaming down his face, but he loved the feeling.  
When he arrived at the hospital, he took off his coat, toweled off his hair, and began his day.

Mrs Peters was first on his list of rounds. As perceptive as usual, she took note of the wetness of his collar and the dampness on the twinges on his hair. "You know, you should be more careful to dry off. You could catch a cold. So much sickness in a hospital, be careful you don't feel any of the germs or diseases you must be carrying after so long here."  
He denied the urge to give her a sarcastic thank you, and gave her an appreciative nod.  
"You're right. I'll be sure to be more careful next time."  
He ignored the disapproving look on her face and made sure to give her sweet smile.

When the Doctor made his way to Jonathan's room, the look on his patients face made him certain he was going to hear a story. When Jonathan was in a story-telling mood, his eyebrows were raised, and he smile always had a twinge that said 'I know something you don't know'. He never told a impromptu story. He always thought about it before John entered his room. If the Doctor said something that made him remember something, he only ever told him the next day. John was curious if today's story was sparked by something he said, or if it was just one among many in the vault of Jonathan's memories. When the check up was finished, Jonathan made a motion for the Doctor to sit down, and so he did.

"You're nice for listening to an old man's boring stories." The Doctor was about to protest but he was interrupted. "But now I have one that you'll really enjoy." John was silent. He didn't want to say anything that would put a stop to his friend's speaking.

"It's another one about Sarah. This must've been some 60 years ago. I was just finishing up secondary school, my last year. This was the winter after I almost drowned. Sarah was going on to bigger and better places, a university in Paris. By then, I was working out of my father's garage, as a mechanic. Me an Sarah had gotten to know each other well, and were good friends. We had been dancing around each other for months.  
We met out in a field after school let out. She was so beautiful. Her hair was tied up with a ribbon, and strands fell down her face. She was just stunning that afternoon.  
She told me that she liked me, and that she would stay with me, instead of going to university. I didn't say anything, and she looked at me with her pretty pursed lips. I was still silent when she tried to kiss me. But I didn't let her. I knew that she meant it when she said she would stay, and I couldn't let her do that. She was destined for great things, and I wasn't. I wouldn't let her get tied up with me.  
I told her to go to France, and that there was nothing for her here. Then I ran away, and she yelled that I was a coward.  
She left for Paris the next week. I didn't see her in all that time. It was years until I saw her again. Every day, I thought about that almost kiss. And everyday I regretted it. She was right, y'know. I was a coward.  
Years past, and when she came back to our little town, she went to see me. We talked for hours, and she said... she said..."

Jonathan's speech was punctured with a coughing fit. John jumped up and silenced him when he tried to continue his story. He held his stethoscope to his patient's back, and listened to his breath. From what he could hear, it didn't sound too good.  
The Doctor was worried, but told Jonathan he was okay, and that he would send the nurse in with something for his breathing.

Jonathan knew something was wrong, but that the Doctor would tell him if it was anything serious.  
"You're a good man, John. I promise I'll finish that story tomorrow."  
It was the least he could do.

* * *

It had already been a month since Amy was first admitted. Her and the Doctor's friendship was solidified in that time. He was still a bit awkward, but Amy thought it was cute. She liked being his last patient of the day, because that meant that he didn't have to rush out to see anyone else. He was the highlight of her day. Besides, there was nothing else to do than eat jello and watch the telly, which had gotten monotonous 2 weeks ago.

When he entered her room, he was already smiling. His hair was slightly messy, but once again, Amy thought it was cute. Maybe she thought everything about him was cute. It didn't bother her one bit.

"Hey, Doctor. Have any news?" she asked. She asked the same question every day he came in, but he never really did have any. Just thoughts on the weather, or on current events. She supposed that those did count as 'news' but it was never quite what she hoped for (even though she didn't even know what she hoped for).

"Yes, actually, I do." he said. He had her x-rays in his charts, and held them out to her. Even without back up light, she could tell that her leg was getting better. In her lower leg (tibia or fibia, or one of those medical words) the two parts that had a clean break looked almost like one bone again. She looked up at the Doctor, waiting for him to tell her the importance of it.

"You're leg is healing extraordinarily fast. You'll be able to get you cast off on Sunday. You'll still have to wear a brace for 2 weeks. And since Leadworth doesn't have a Physical Therapy center, you'll stay here for a bit longer. Then you'll be off home!" He thought this news would make her happy, but he frowned at her reaction.

She looked sad to hear this. And he couldn't fathom why. She would be able to go home, and see her friends and family. They had visited her a couple times, but only for an hour on the days they were in town to see her. Wouldn't getting better be good news to anyone?  
Not, apparently, to Amelia Pond.

When he asked he what was wrong, she couldn't explain. Or rather, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him that she was hated the fact that she was getting better so much that she was considering breaking her leg again. She couldn't tell him that she would miss being in the hospital so much that she never wanted to go home. She couldn't tell him that she would miss him that much.

Without an answer, the Doctor didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say or what he did wrong. He just knew that he wanted to make her smile when she looked so sad.  
And in that moment, all he could think about were Jonathan's words about Sarah. He didn't kiss her when he had the chance.  
And John knew that if he didn't kiss Amy Pond at that moment, that he would regret it for years to come. Maybe the rest of his life.  
So, before he knew it, he leaned down and kissed her.

It was a good kiss. Maybe one of the best kisses of his life, but it was cut entirely too short. He pulled back when he heard a machine signal that another patient had gone into cardiac arrest.  
He was almost out the door when he took one last glance at the beautiful Amy. Then he left.

* * *

Amy waited for him to come back that night. The kiss was at 7, and he still wasn't back at 10. She made excuses that he was busy, and that maybe someone had died.  
But that didn't stop the sinking feeling she had in her stomach.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get out. I made a smutty Amy/11 fic that I published (not in Doctor Doctor's universe though). Hopefully that will keep you content until next chapter.**  
**Thank you for the reviews, and favorites, and follows. I am so happy that you guys like it.**


	7. Chapter 7

Amy's leg was liberated from the constrictive cast on Sunday afternoon. She wasn't able to stand on , and would still have to wear a brace for time to come, but it was worth it to be able to actually bend her knee. She was given a wheelchair and instructions on how to use it. It took all her power to stop her inner child from racing down the hall, or attempting to do wheelies. Really, she wasn't motivated by her mature-ness, but simply by the fact that- given time - she most likely would crack her skull open.  
It was well for a distraction, because that was all she needed at the moment.

There was still no word from the Doctor. Amy tried to convince herself that it wasn't a big deal. He kissed her. _So what?_ It wasn't like the earth was shattering beneath her feet (even though it certainly felt like it). She told herself that they were just 2 people in a world of 7 billion. But she kept remembering all the times he made her feel like they were the only ones on the planet. She kept thinking of the was he gave her shivers when she caught him staring.  
And, for some reason, she knew it was all in jeopardy. She calmed herself with the thought that she would see him on Monday, and all would be well.

* * *

But Amy didn't see him on Monday. Of course she waited. That morning she didn't know what to expect, and her stomach was fluttering. The hours crept by and by, 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 6. There was always the chance a patient needed more time, so she waited some more.  
It was 8 pm and he still hadn't arrived.  
Amy wanted to believe that meant anything but bad news.

He was late. But the girl who waited could stand to wait a little longer.

* * *

The dreary Tuesday morning held no promise. Amy woke to rain splattered windows and a chill in the air around her. Hospital gowns were obviously not made with warmth in mind, she decided, so she had to make due with the blankets surrounding her.  
Amy wasn't having too bad of a day until Dr. Shives walked into her room. She had to do a double check to confirm that it was, in fact, Tuesday. She knew then that something was wrong.  
John Smith had been her doctor for over a month, and he had never missed a day. Two days in a row surely spelt disaster.

_What if he felt out of a window? Or was attacked by a patient? Or slipped and injected himself with god knows what? Would the hospital tell her if he died? What if she was bedridden and missed his funeral?_

She had to stop herself before she had a panic attack. Little Amelia had had this problem ever since her parents died.  
She was 7 years old, and they didn't come home one night. Being a kid, she was thrilled to be on her own rather than worried. She woke up with the telly still blaring the next day, hours late for school. She wasn't scared, though. She knew it was only a matter of time before her mum and dad were home.  
That night she was told they were in a car crash, and that her aunt Sharon would be taking care of her from then on.

After that, she developed a habit of assuming the worst. Any time some one was late, she had panic attacks that they were dead. It wasn't always imagined car crashes (she was creative in the death department). When her friend Melody was late for her 10th birthday, Amy was convinced that her house had burned down on the wettest day of the year.  
Each imagined disaster was worse than the last.

Amy hadn't had an episode for years. Her 4 psychiatrists made sure of that. She didn't know why her mind chose now to freak out, after all this time.  
She brought herself back to the real world when she saw Dr. Shives looking at her worriedly.  
"Is Dr. Smith okay?" the red head asked. She wasn't sure if Shives had asked her a question first, and if she just hadn't heard it. She tried to make her facial expressions calm, but she had no idea if it was working.

Shives pursed her ruby red lips as she finished writing a note on her clipboard. She paused before her answer, but it came flying out of her mouth at the usual pace.  
"He's fine. He was having trouble with a patient, so he switched shifts. I guess you got switched in the process. Instead of weekends I now..."

Amy chose to ignore Dr. Shives blathering. She really could prattle on about anything- so Amy just nodded instead of listening to Shives words.  
Amy was more preoccupied with how mad she was at the Doctor. He'd made her worry all for nothing.  
All that panic just because he'd had a problem with... a patient...  
_Oh god._

_She_ was that patient.

He switched shifts so he wouldn't have to see her. Amy didn't know what she did wrong. He kissed her for goodness sakes!  
She was torn between being angry at him and at herself. But most of what she felt was an overwhelming sense of hurt.

She really needed someone to talk to. The only problem was that the Doctor was her only friend in this place.  
She then reminded herself of the old man a few doors down.  
She resolved that later that day she would have a talk with Jonathan.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this too me a while to get out. I promise I am not abandoning this story! I am just horrid with schedules, and life has stepped up its game into difficulty mode.**  
**I do swear that if I ever abandon this story (which I'm not planning on) I will post a chapter with an update saying that. So don't worry if the next chapter is just up late.**  
**I absolutely love seeing that I have new reviews, so thank you to everyone who has given them.**  
**TTFN!**


	8. Chapter 8

Amy had finally gotten the hang of wheeling herself around. She now glided down the hallway with ease, instead of going at the slowest pace imaginable so she didn't roll over anything.  
She rolled herself into Jonathan's room Monday morning.

"You know the Doctor, right?" Amy thought she would just be blunt instead of exchanging polite pleasantries. Of course, she knew Jonathan knew the Doctor, but she didn't have a better segway into the conversation she was hoping to have. She hoped, at least, that Jonathan knew him better than she did.  
When he gave her a look, she realized she had been using her name for him. She guessed she really was the only one who called him "the Doctor".  
"Dr. Smith?" she clarified.

"Yes, I know John. Did you want to talk about him?" Jonathan had a look that signaled to Amy that he knew more than he was letting on. His expression was soft, and his eyes had a certain warmness about them. The red head felt like she could tell him everything, but she was still wary.

"Do you know why he's being so stupid?"  
Amy had spent some time trying to suss out John's mixed signals. She spent a good time on determining if the Doctor did, in fact, fancy her. The problem was that he was so damn confusing. When she traced over the weeks of their time together, it seemed that for every clue she found led her to 2 more contradictions. She eventually came to the conclusion that the Doctor _did_ like her, but something was preventing him from acting on his feelings.  
Maybe he had demons of his own.

"I might need a little more to go on, but I'll try to help. What has he done?" Jonathan had realized that John had been acting differently the past week. Just a little more... lifeless than usual. He knew better than to push his friend to open up, so he just let him be. As much as he wanted to help, he knew that John needed more time. But it was now apparent that the Doctor's time was up. He had a girl waiting for him.

Amy wasn't sure exactly what to tell him. After more than a few seconds of silence, she decidedly to tell him everything. Succinctly, of course. She even told him about the kiss, which seemed to be her most private moment in her life at the moment. When you have people constantly checking on you, stabbing you with needles, and giving you pills all day, you don't feel like you have much to yourself. This moment with the Doctor was the only thing that felt like it was truly hers. But she gave up her one secret in hopes of getting a chance to make new ones. She didn't want one moment to last a life time. She wanted a life time of moments.

Jonathan gave Amy a kind smile. He didn't say anything for a bit, just looked at her calmly, with those warm, warm eyes. His voice was soft when he spoke.  
"It's simple," he said. "He's scared."

Amy didn't braced herself for the unexpected, but his answer still surprised her.  
"Scared?" she repeated.

"Scared. I don't know why," Jonathan began. "You see, he lights up when he talks about you. A wide smile with wide eyes, and everything he loves about you just flows from his mouth. I almost feel like I know you, just from what he's told me."  
"Amy," he says, as his hands spread above him creating a banner. "The girl with hazel eyes and red, red hair."

Her jaw must've dropped because he took a look at her and said "I'm sorry. I've made you uncomfortable."

She struggled to find words, but she began flustered anyway. "No... no.. I'm just... surprised. I didn't know he did that. I wasn't even sure he liked me at all."

"I assure you, he does. Now you better get done with your useless talking to me and go find him." Jonathan nodded towards the door.

It took Amy some time before she remembered that she could move, and wasn't just a statue. She gave Jonathan a huge thank you, and then she was off.

She knew she had to talk to him soon, but she still needed more time. To sort things out, prepare herself, whatever the reason. Amy decided to search for the Doctor tomorrow, procrastinator that she was.

She just hoped she hadn't waited too long.

* * *

Tuesday morning was dull for John. His new work schedule meant he had a couple hours to himself after he woke up. He supposed he would need time to get his sleep schedule adjusted from waking up a 5 am to 10 am, but he wasn't happy in the meanwhile.

He stepped into Jonathan's room and smiled at his old friend. One thing that the Doctor could count on, was the patient in room 16. Jonathan was a resident of the hospital before John even applied for a job after med school. He never had many visitors, but he always had a smile for anyone who wanted to talk. One of his many great qualities.

"Someone stopped by my room yesterday, and we had a lovely conversation." Jonathan said. His voice was light and rough at the same time, but there was some definite excitement in his tone.

"Oh. Who?" The Doctor was listening to his patient's heartbeat, as per the usual every morning. He gave a frown when he heard Jonathan's answer.

"Amy." He said her name in a matter of fact way, like it was no big deal. John wanted to avoid the conversation that was sure to follow as much as he possibly could.

The Doctor sighed. "Just do me a favor and don't tell me about it." He started marking down on his charts, pretending not to notice Jonathan's peering stare.

"Why not? I thought you liked her." Jonathan replied in his most innocent voice.

The Doctor didn't want to say anything more, but he knew that Jonathan would pester him if he just shut up. He figured the easiest way to stop talking was to answer his questions as quick as possible.

"I do... it's... complicated." John didn't have anything else to say about the matter.

"Well, my time's almost up, so you're going to have to simplify it."

John chose to ignore the first part of Jonathan's statement.

As a doctor, he knew that Jonathan would die soon. Any person would. Age and death are natural part of life. As a med student, he was trained to not wrap himself up in his patients lives. Eventually, everything will go wrong. He knew that patients die. People die. But John still didn't like mentioning his old friends impending end.

Everybody knows that everybody dies, but nobody knows it like the Doctor.

In the simplest terms, John told his friend that he was a doctor, and Amy was a patient. There wasn't anything he could do about that. Nothing he could change. Sometimes, life just unfolds into ways that aren't fair. But there was no changing fate.

Jonathan thought about the Doctor's answer. It wasn't a very good excuse, he decided. Nothing should stop love.

"Now you listen here. You have a girl waiting for you. It's your job to not let anything stop you from being with someone you love. It might not be easy, but it's worth it. No red tape is so strong that it can't break." He gave the Doctor a stern look and waited for his response.

John smiled sadly, and promised Jonathan that he would think about it.

As he was walking out into the hall, he was left with another piece of wisdom.

"John, I ended up with Sarah. The red heads are always the wild ones."

* * *

Amy spent most of the day rehearsing what she would say. She had nervous jitters and backed out of the plan 4 times. Eventually she coaxed herself back in, then out, then in. It was a good and dark evening at 8 pm when she forced herself out of her room to go find him. She had covertly ferreted out his approximate whereabouts earlier that day. Her stomach was fluttering to the point where if she wasn't in a wheel chair, she was sure she'd faint. Somehow, she convinced herself to go through with her plan, and scoured the corridors for her doctor.

She found him in the break room making tea. He looked different to her for an unknown reason, standing with his back to her at the counter. When he turned slightly, she figured out it was his lab coat. Buttoned all the way up. It looked wrong on him, too proper. She guessed he had started doing it after he kissed her. After he left her.

She wanted to look sure of herself, instead of like the nervous wreck she felt on the inside. Amy took a couple deep breaths and steeled herself for the worst outcome. She gained courage while his back was turned to her.

"Oi!" she shouted to get his attention. He seemed shocked to see her, if only a little bit. He had bags under his eyes that she hated to see. He didn't look as happy as she remembered. Like some of the light behind his eyes was drained somehow.

"Amy, I can't talk to you right now." he waved her off and turned his back again.

His dismissive actions ignited the fire in her Scottish temperament. If she had any plans of backing out before, they were gone. She felt more stubborn than she had ever been before.

"Well, you're going to or I will keep finding you and keep bugging you. I won't leave you alone until you talk to me." She wheeled herself to the center of the room, while he was on the edge. As silly as it seemed, she didn't want him running away from her.

"What? What do you want me to say?!" he faced her and shouted. The Doctor's sudden change in demeanor was enough to frighten her (if only a little), as he stepped closer, she rolled herself back. If he wanted a shouting match, he would get a shouting match.

"I don't know! Something! Say something instead of running away and hiding!" she grit her teeth in order to fight back tears. Whatever she did, she knew that she could not cry. Nothing would be worse than having a shouting match with him and crying. She felt useless enough in her current state, and she knew that tears would only magnify it.

"I'm not hiding." he spoke in a monotone voice. His facial expressions were dead, as if everything about him had shut down.

"Oh, really?" she replied, as she slowly started to stand from her wheel chair. She lifted herself from the handles and stood on unsteady feet. She felt wobbly, and knew she wasn't supposed to stand for at least another week, but she was angry and didn't care. "Mr. I'm so put to-" she stopped mid sentence as she began to collapse.

The Doctor was just in time to catch her before she crumpled to the ground. He supported her and lifted her back into the chair, with deep concern etched into his features. He looked like the old Doctor she had come to know.

The tears were now streaming down her face, the sudden fall having broken her resolve. He brushed the hair from her eyes and cupped her face in his hands.

"Why did you do that?" he asked softly. His voice was kind and he watched her like he hadn't seen her in years.

"I just... I just wanted you to see me as something more than just someone to take care of." It took all of her remaining strength not to sob in between her words. She tried to breathe slowly, but her breaths were still ragged.

She was utterly shocked when he leaned in to kiss her. She was sure she tasted like tears, but he kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her.

He pulled back and rambled out apologies, but not before wiping the tears from her eyes. Even with red-rimmed, wet eyes, she was still the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Amy, the girl with hazel eyes and red, red hair.

"I have half a mind to slap you right now, John Smith." Amy laughed and smiled, and he followed suit.

"I still can't be your doctor, you know." John began wheeling her back to her room, through winding corridors until they reached her door.

"But you'll be kissing me instead, yeah?"

"Yeah, I suppose I will."

Amy was grateful that it was late and barely anyone was about. She didn't want the whole hospital to know she was crying. She breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached her safe haven, room 11.

The Doctor helped her into her bed, and sat in the same old, ugly red chair. Amy felt an overwhelming need for sleep, but she didn't want to leave the Doctor as she dreamed. She was afraid he would be gone in the morning, and they would have to go through this all over again. She felt like she was in a dream at the moment, and maybe none of it was real.

He told her it was okay, and to go to sleep as he held her hand.

She finally drifted off when she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. But that last thing they saw was his sweet smile.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for being so patient with this chapter coming out. **

**Hopefully the length make up for the long wait. I realize I could have done 2 chapters with this, but I didn't know where to split it up (and thought it would be an extra treat!)**  
**Thanks for reviews and favorites.**  
**And a special thank you to ShyandStarryEyed who has reviewed almost every chapter.**  
**I love hearing that people enjoy this story, so thanks for that!**  
**Until next time-**


	9. Chapter 9

Amy awoke Wednesday morning with a dream on the tip of her tongue. When she finally opened her eyes, she could barely remember what she had seen while she slept. Only that it was something good.

It was early morning, and the sky was the faint blue the appeared at dawn, the soft light illuminated her room. She almost thought she could still see some stars, but she decided it wasn't worth getting in her wheelchair to check out the window.

When she looked around the room, she realized that something was missing. The nightstand was still beside her, the chair was still across from her, and the dresser was still by the wall under the window. She chalked it up to morning amnesia and brain fog when she finally realized what was missing.

Or rather, who.

The Doctor.

She played their kiss from the night before over and over in her head, until she half thought it was a dream.

She looked to the stand beside her for a note, but there wasn't one. The fact that he didn't leave a message worried her. What if he was avoiding her again? She didn't think she was capable of confronting him again. But it surely wouldn't come to that, right?

Before she got too wrapped up in her own thoughts, a blonde nurse popped her head in.

"Oh. You're awake. I'll be just a second getting your medicine."

As the nurse walked off, Amy wondered why she sounded so surprised. She had been sleeping in ever since she arrived, so she guessed it was a pretty weird for her to be up at 6 AM. It looked like she was just full of surprises lately.

When the nurse came back to hook up Amy's IV drip, it took all of her might not to bombard her with questions. She didn't even know what to ask. When she had finally worked up the courage to bring up the Doctor, he walked into view.

The Doctor. Her Doctor.

She was relieved to see that he had his lab coat unbuttoned again. He wasn't the prim and proper type. More... Raggedy. His mop of hair was a mess, as usual, but she had come to expect it at that point. His face lit up when he saw her, but he tried to mask it.

"Hi. I had the nurse page me when you woke up." he smiled politely at the nurse while she left the room. When he turned his full attention on Amy, it almost took her breath away.

"Care to take a seat?" She asked. Her voice sounded more put-together than she really felt inside, but she hoped he didn't notice. She watched him carefully as he crossed the floor to that stupid red chair and sat down. He twiddled his thumbs, looking nervous for some odd reason she couldn't possibly fathom.

"So-" they both began at the same time, and they both almost laughed but something stopped them. Their eyes met for a moment in silence, and Amy motioned for him to go first.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. He spoke to the floor more than to her.

"So... if you still want to continue-"

"Yes." she interrupted him.

"Yes?" He looked up at her with wide green eyes. He wanted to make sure that he heard right, and that she even knew what he was asking.

"Yes."

She didn't know how in the world he still thought that she wouldn't want to be with him. She guessed that question in his mind is what made him nervous. The initial surprise on his face at her first answer soon turned into an almost giddy smile, which made her smile too.

"I suppose I would have to tell my superiors." He put on airs of being a complete rule follower, but they both knew he wasn't. He looked like his old self when he said this and grinned at her. Happy, unencumbered. She hoped she would never see the serious side of him again.

"Will that be a problem?" she asked.

"Nope. I still won't be able to be your doctor, though."

Amy made a face, but she knew that it was infinitely better than the other option. She would rather have him as a boyfriend than a doctor (if she couldn't have both). She then realized what that would mean.

"Oh god. Not Shives." she mocked horror, but knew what his answer would be.

"Most likely, yes." he shrugged as if there was nothing he could do.

She decided she could manage all of the gossip and pettiness that Shives brought, as long as she had the Doctor. It was torture when she had no reason to bare it, but now that she did have one, she was sure she could handle it. She decided she would do anything to be with him.

He came over to her bedside and checked her leg. It was feeling better than it had the night before, but she still had some pain. Even though it felt in better condition, she still winced when he pressed on certain spots. The look of concern he had gave her butterflies in her stomach. She wouldn't have minded being in more pain if it meant he would be attending her for longer.

"You know, you really shouldn't have stood up on it. It looks fine, but you'll still need an x-ray."

"I wouldn't have had to stand up on it if it wasn't for a certain someone." She gave him a playful glare to show she wasn't mad. Sooner or later though, he would come to learn that she was _the_ sass master.

He chuckled lightly as he finished his inspection.

"That really was my fault, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was." she agreed. "And now you owe me."

Before their conversation could turn to how he would pay back his debt, his pager beeped. It was obvious that they both wanted to ignore the incessant sound, but it was likely a more pressing matter than their flirting.

They said quick goodbyes, and the Doctor promised he would be back on his next break.

Amy didn't know how she could possibly wait that long.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for reviews, follows and favorites.**

**And thanks for being so patient between chapters!**

**If you like this chapter (or any other ones) I encourage you to leave a review. They really make my day, and remind me to get working!**

**Thanks for reading.**


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